


With a Carefree Heart

by DenisDenis



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 15:25:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18672397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DenisDenis/pseuds/DenisDenis
Summary: Therion and Tressa are partners in crime, scamming merchants out of their money. But their professional relationship becomes more when they find in each other the comfort they have been seeking for so long.





	With a Carefree Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first post on AO3 ever!

“Well little lady, you sure drive a hard bargain! If I’m not careful, next time we talk you might just rob me blind!”

Tressa and the merchant she’d just finished haggling with over the price of an ornate dagger laughed heartily together. This middle-aged man with a bushy mustache and bushier eyebrows had been bragging to her about all the business he’d been having since the morning, and even more foolishly talked about a set of rare gemstones he had purchased two days ago. That was enough for her to give the signal, a tiny gesture of the hand. Her partner in crime would know, wherever he was. She caught a glimpse of him as she extended her arm to shake the merchant’s hand and seal the deal. He winked at her, of course, cheeky as ever. Rob him blind indeed.

Therion seemed cold and distant at first, but theft really was a game to him. And he’d opened up so unexpectedly to her once she’d agreed – just once, and then again and again until she’d lost count – to participate in a string of schemes he’d imagined for them. Her ethics had been put to the test, and she was ashamed to say they didn’t hold up for more than a few minutes against his charm. More than anything, he’d smiled at her so convincingly, and the touch of his hand on her shoulder had melted all her defenses away. It was just the two of them on the road for now, going from town to town and making a fortune along the way. Not the way she’d envisioned when she first set out from Rippletide but satisfying all the same. 

So, here she was, counting their bounty around a small campfire away from the well-worn path winding into the forest. Therion had brought some wine to celebrate their successes, but his presence was more intoxicating to her than the drink. They ate and drank in good cheer, laughing about the gullible merchant from that afternoon.  
“We make a fine team together, wouldn’t you say?”, he said to her, cheeks lightly flushed by the warmth of the campfire. 

“That we do, my friend. A toast to our most profitable business partnership!”, she responded, raising her cup. 

Their eyes locked for a brief moment as their cups clinked against each other. The glow of the fire made his expression unreadable, all at once soft and wild. He must have noticed the desire in her eyes, she was sure of it. They finished the wine as the fire died down to embers, joking and laughing together in the now established ease of companionship. Therion had seemed like he had no end of tragic stories kept untold, but tonight especially, he was all tales of adventure. Perhaps it was the wine, but he sounded like the kind of noble thief you only read about in stories. Tressa thought back to that hand on her shoulder, the lingering thrill of it, and she knew that she wanted more. A thief indeed, but could she manage to take just a little from him as well tonight? 

They had been sitting side by side next to the fire, a small distance from each other. She reached out and bridged the gap, placing her hand on his. He flinched at first but caught hold of her withdrawing hand in moments. She looked over at him, worried at what she would see. His gaze was more intense than she’d ever seen it, an unreadable mixture of conflicting emotions. Somehow, he seemed almost afraid. 

“I know summer is coming to an end, Tressa. But is the night so cold that you’d seek out warmth from someone like me?  
\- I’ve been helping you steal from others for two months now Therion. Maybe being around you, I’ve grown accustomed to just getting anything I reach out for… Was I wrong to try?  
\- I wouldn’t say that you’re wrong. But maybe that eye of yours is telling you to take something you don’t fully understand. It wouldn’t be the first time that something you thought was valuable brought you a world of trouble…  
\- I thought you knew by now not to underestimate your business partners.”

He laughed softly and squeezed her hand, then leaned over and kissed her. This wasn’t her first kiss, but all paled in comparison with this new embrace. His hand felt warm and comforting around hers. She pulled him in closer, their bodies now pressed against each other, his touch sending shivers down her spine. Kissing him reminded her of how she felt on her first day on the road after defeating the pirates in her hometown, freedom made only sweeter by the hint of danger. She wanted to feel his skin now, get closer than their clothing would allow. Gently, her hand slipped under his cloak and unfastened the first clasp of his doublet. She felt his own hand grip around her wrist. Uncomfortably tight. Was he shaking?

“Are you sure this is what you want?”. His gaze seemed distant, as if he weren’t really there anymore. His flat, lifeless tone hit her like a wall of ice. She hadn’t imagined that underlying fear in his eyes. Perhaps the question wasn’t directed at her, but at himself. She shifted back, giving them both time to catch their breath, and gently cupped his cheek in her palm. He wasn’t looking her in the eye any more. 

“Therion. I know that your path until now has been struck by tragedy far more than mine. You haven’t shared with me exactly how, but I see it in your eyes, and I want to be here with you all the same. I want you all the same, and I’m not afraid.  
\- You say that now, thinking of me like some kind of gallant burglar whose tortured past can be fixed with enough love. I’m not who you think I am, Tressa. I don’t want you to see my scars, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to heal them either.  
\- It certainly sounds like you’re assuming a lot about me. Do you really think I’m so weak that I would throw myself at you without consideration? Or that I’m too naïve to know that the lighthearted adventures you tell me about conceal a darker truth?”. Her voice trailed off, overcome by emotion. This misunderstanding frustrated her. What kind of a fool had he been taking her for?

The silence was starting to stretch out between them, a menacing rent in their relationship. If nobody spoke up now, maybe “business partners” would also become a thing of the past come sunrise. Finally, Therion broke first:

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. The only person I doubt here is myself. That’s how it’s always been. I don’t want you to think…”. He rested his hand over hers and sighed deeply, like he was letting go of a heavy burden. Standing up, he pulled her to her feel. 

“You were right to try. I don’t know anybody who bargains quite as ruthlessly as you do, Tressa. Would you join me in my tent?”, he added, as a new smile she’d never seen before painted the features of his face in the most genuine relief he’d ever displayed for her.  
“And I don’t know any other thieves for comparison, but you seem pretty adept at stealing a girl’s heart.”. They both giggled as they slid into his tent.


End file.
